1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus in which an endoscope is detachable from the apparatus main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well-known that endoscope apparatuses are widely utilized in the medical care field and industrial field. In the case of an endoscope apparatus used for medical care, it is possible to observe inside a body cavity by inserting a long and thin insertion portion of the endoscope into the body cavity and, as required, perform various kinds of treatment using a treatment instrument that is inserted into an insertion channel for a treatment instrument.
In the case of an endoscope apparatus used in the industrial field, by inserting a long and thin insertion portion of the endoscope inside a jet engine or piping at a factory or the like, it is possible to observe damage or corrosion and the like at a site to be inspected and to perform various kinds of corrective treatment.
An endoscope apparatus generally includes an endoscope having a long and thin insertion portion in which, for example, an image pickup unit having an image pickup device such as a lens or CCD is disposed at the distal end thereof, and an apparatus main body to which the endoscope is connected. In the case of small size endoscope apparatuses, an apparatus is known in which a light source such as an LED is arranged at the distal end of the insertion portion.
Various members that drive the endoscope are arranged inside the apparatus main body. More specifically, these include an electric circuit that drives an image pickup unit and a light source, an image processing unit that, after images are picked up, processes image signals outputted from the image pickup unit, a recording medium that records image data processed by the image processing unit, and a battery or the like that supplies power to the endoscope and the apparatus main body.
With respect to this kind of endoscope apparatus, an endoscope apparatus has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-126570, that includes a monitor, and in which a lamp housing of a power supply unit serving as the apparatus main body and a base unit of the endoscope can be detached from each other. In order to reliably make a connection with a light guide connector or an electric connector or the like, this endoscope apparatus has a lock member that is inserted into a guide pin bracket member of the lamp housing on a connection surface of the base unit that contacts against the lamp housing, and a slider member that is engageably inserted into a guide rail of the lamp housing on the side surface.
The apparatus main body of this endoscope apparatus is provided with various connectors for connecting an external power source or external devices, and an electrical connector portion such as a housing portion for electrically connecting to and housing a storage medium.
In addition to use within a room in which there is dust and moisture and the like, this kind of endoscope apparatus is also used outdoors, and in some cases is used in a location that is exposed to dirt, rain, humidity and the like. Therefore, a structure that maintains a dust-proof property and a water-proof property of the various electrical connector portions described above is indispensable not just in this kind of endoscope apparatus for industrial use, but for various electronic devices.
With respect to technology for waterproof structures and dustproof structures for electronic device, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-217734 discloses a waterproof cap structure including a hinge part that is arranged to independently cover each of two connector opening parts.